Well, Jesus certainly stirred things up in the Temple that day! This incident rates high on the shock value scale. Imagine those merchants going about their daily lives, doing what they had probably done for years and having some man come along and disrupt everything, turning over tables and driving everyone out with a whip!

All four gospels record this story so it probably did happen as it is written. John, however, differs from the other gospel writers by placing it near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

So, early in his ministry, according to John, this man that few people knew or had heard about caused a greet disturbance in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Jesus picked a busy place to make a statement. Just as with any other ancient holy site, the areas around the Temple would have been an important commercial centre. Pilgrims who came to the city to participate in the rituals needed food and lodging in the vicinity, and vendors would also provide the items necessary for making sacrifices in the Temple. Money changers were necessary to convert foreign funds into the currency used in the Temple. The assumption is that this commerce would have taken place outside the Temple proper in the courtyard of the Gentiles and amid the massive porticoes surrounding the Temple platform. When the Gospels report that Jesus saw these activities taking place in the Temple, we must presume that some of the business transactions had gravitated into the area immediately around the Temple building. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand why Jesus reacted so negatively to the necessary, everyday commerce that was taking place.

What would have been acceptable business transactions in order to service those coming to worship had crossed the line and begun to interfere with worship. The cost of doing business in the Temple that day was very high. It prompted anger and outrage.

Jesus’ anger over the abuse of the Temple space is certainly justified, but we might wonder why he couldn’t channel his anger in a more constructive direction? Why not file a complaint with the Temple authorities, or kindly ask the merchants to remove themselves to the proper area, or even transport them miraculously to the market area? He was certainly capable of any of these things. All of these reactions would have been more in line with the image of a peaceful Jesus than the violent, whip-wielding response described in John’s gospel.

What happened that day in the marketplace in the Temple is also a reminder of how easy it is for sacred ritual to take on a life of its own. The rituals of the Temple had grown to the point that there was more attention paid to the procuring of money and animals than there was to the meaning of the sacrifice itself.

Think about how people would have reacted to Jesus’ display of passion. Set at the beginning of the Gospel, they would have known very little about him prior to the incident at the Temple. Some might have been aware that John the Baptist had said great things about him. Other might have known that he had begun to gather a group of his own disciples both in Judea and in Galilee. A few might have heard reports about his efforts to resupply a wedding part in Cana. According to John’s story, however, that’s all they would have known. Now suddenly, out of nowhere, here comes this madman, creating a ruckus in the Temple, upsetting the civic peace that that Romans worked so hard to enforce. This is definitely not the "gentle Jesus, meek and mild" they’d heard described. Who is this man? What is he trying to do? Doesn’t he know that such irrational behaviour could get him locked up or even worse?

How do WE handle our anger? Do we let it fester and grow inside of us? Can we turn an angry outburst into a productive thing? Do we channel it in healthy directions?

Our Bible Study Group is doing something different for Lent this year. We’re following a study guide, "Wisdom From the Five People You Meet in Heaven". It take that little book, written on the premise that when you die and go to heaven, you will be met by five people from your past who will explain your life to you, and with the use of the Bible, notably the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs and the Book of Job, helps us make the connection between those ancient Scriptures and our own lives, through the experiences of the main character, Eddie.

This past week, we were challenged with some tough questions:

• What causes anger and resentment to erupt in your life? How do you handle such eruptions?
• What is the relationship between refraining from anger, having mercy, forgiving and loving?

Jesus was angry because he saw the Temple, the holy place of worship, being defiled and changed into something it wasn’t. But that anger became a prophetic moment when he answered the challenges of the people present: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

The disciples may not have understood Jesus’ declaration that day, but understanding would come after the Easter morning resurrection.

If anger in our own personal or workplace relationships prompts us to reflect on a situation and make change, then it becomes much more than a regrettable incident. Justified and properly directed anger can have beneficial results. Perhaps those merchants and moneychangers hadn’t really noticed the effects of what was likely a gradual change. Perhaps, Jesus’ actions prompted them to move back out into the courtyard, thus restoring the sacredness of the Temple space.

Anger is not the best of emotions, but neither is it always the worst. Sometimes, anger causes positive change. If I had not gotten so angry by what I saw in Nicaragua, I would not have been so strong an advocate for the Mission and Service Fund. Our challenge is to not let the anger control us.

The situation Jesus found that day in the Temple leads us to consider our own places of worship and how we use them. We must ask ourselves tough questions.

Does what we do as a church and in the church honour God and our ministry or does it overtake and overshadow the ministry?

I have known congregations where fundraising and social events become much more important than Sunday worship. People would work hard on a church supper on Saturday night but seldom attend worship the next day.

I was worshipping in a small church one Sunday about five years ago. They had been having some difficulties and I was there as a representative from Presbytery to meet with them after church to see how we could help. During worship, I noticed that everyone in this small congregation (probably a dozen people) sat in their own little space.

One woman stood up during the meeting that followed the worship service and said she had been attending that church with her children for nearly a year now and no one seemed to even know her name. Another woman answered her, "Well, if you came to the Monday night euchres, we’d know who you are!"

What was happening in that congregation? What did that statement say about their relationship with God? Was the church merely a place to play cards?

I firmly believe that the fellowship and friendship that grows from working side by side on a fundraiser, a dinner, or renovations and repairs are important, even essential, parts of the development of community in the church. But if they become our sole focus, then we have lost our way. We are no longer the church.

Every faith community must find the balance between fellowship and faith, a balance that strengthens and grows our faith as well as our sense of community.

This story also prompts us to consider Jesus, his identity and our relationship with him. It shows us another side of this man, this face of God. Jesus was a dynamic, challenging, and controversial person, one who gave his life for us, one who was capable of great love and much anger. He was not a one-dimensional person.

What does it mean for us if we are to follow him?

• It means a lifetime that will have challenges and trials along with its joys and rewards.
• It means that we may be misunderstood at times.
• ‘It means that we maybe called to speak out and to go against the prevailing accepted social norms, whatever the consequences may be.
• Ultimately, it means that we will live a life like no other.

In today’s terms, the cost of doing business (of being the church and honouring our faith) is high. We must place God before all other things in all things.

Are you up to the challenge? Do you need to overturn some tables in your life? What assumptions and attitudes need disrupting! Can you – will you – risk making the changes needed?

We have so much to learn from Jesus, so much to gain.

Clear away the things that impede his participation in your life – and truly live!

Amen

Whatever it is m, know that if you do it with faith and integrity, you will not act in isolation.

As our Creed says,

"God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God."

Amen